1967–68 AHL season
The 1967–68 AHL season was the 32nd season of the American Hockey League. Eight teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The league played a limited interlocking schedule with the Western Hockey League which was a repeat of the experiment two seasons earlier. The Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award is first awarded to the "outstanding coach" in the league's regular season. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season, and won their third Calder Cup championship in four years.
| 1967–68 AHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | American Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | October 11, 1967 – May 4, 1968[1] |
| Number of games | 72 |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Regular season | |
| F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy (East Division winner) John D. Chick Trophy (West Division winner) | Hershey Bears Rochester Americans |
| Season MVP | Dave Creighton |
| Top scorer | Simon Nolet |
| Calder Cup playoffs | |
| Finals champions | Rochester Americans |
| Runners-up | Quebec Aces |
Team changes
- The Pittsburgh Hornets cease operations, when the Pittsburgh Penguins join the National Hockey League as an expansion team.
- The Quebec Aces switch divisions from East to West.
- The Springfield Indians are renamed the Springfield Kings.
Final standings
y– indicates team has clinched division and a playoff spot
x– indicates team has clinched a playoff spot
e– indicates team has been eliminated from playoff contention
Standings as of April 2, 1968[2]
| East Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y–Hershey Bears (BOS) | 72 | 34 | 30 | 8 | 76 | 276 | 248 |
| x–Springfield Kings (LAK) | 72 | 31 | 33 | 8 | 70 | 247 | 276 |
| x–Providence Reds (independent) | 72 | 30 | 33 | 9 | 69 | 235 | 272 |
| e–Baltimore Clippers (PIT) | 72 | 28 | 34 | 10 | 66 | 236 | 255 |
| West Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y–Rochester Americans (MNS/TOR) | 72 | 38 | 25 | 9 | 85 | 273 | 233 |
| x–Quebec Aces (PHI) | 72 | 33 | 28 | 11 | 77 | 277 | 240 |
| x–Buffalo Bisons (NYR) | 72 | 32 | 28 | 12 | 76 | 239 | 224 |
| e–Cleveland Barons (MTL) | 72 | 28 | 30 | 14 | 70 | 236 | 255 |
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simon Nolet | Quebec Aces | 70 | 44 | 52 | 96 | 45 |
| Bob Barlow | Rochester Americans | 72 | 43 | 52 | 95 | 72 |
| Jean-Guy Gendron | Quebec Aces | 72 | 29 | 58 | 87 | 72 |
| Andre Lacroix | Quebec Aces | 54 | 41 | 46 | 87 | 18 |
| Mike Nykoluk | Hershey Bears | 72 | 19 | 66 | 85 | 30 |
| Tom McCarthy | Baltimore Clippers | 70 | 34 | 49 | 83 | 52 |
| Roger DeJordy | Hershey Bears | 68 | 25 | 23 | 48 | 4 |
| Jim Paterson | Cleveland Barons | 72 | 27 | 54 | 81 | 31 |
Calder Cup playoffs
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Calder Cup Final | |||||||||||
| E2 | Springfield | 1 | |||||||||||
| E3 | Providence | 3 | |||||||||||
| E3 | Providence | 1 | |||||||||||
| W2 | Quebec | 3 | |||||||||||
| W2 | Quebec | 3 | |||||||||||
| W3 | Buffalo | 2 | |||||||||||
| W2 | Quebec | 2 | |||||||||||
| W1 | Rochester | 4 | |||||||||||
| E1 | Hershey | 1 | |||||||||||
| W1 | Rochester | 4 | |||||||||||
Trophy and award winners
- Team awards
| Calder Cup Playoff champions: | Rochester Americans |
| F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy Regular season champions, East Division: | Hershey Bears |
| John D. Chick Trophy Regular season champions, West Division: | Rochester Americans |
- Individual awards
| Les Cunningham Award Most valuable player: | Dave Creighton – Providence Reds |
| John B. Sollenberger Trophy Top point scorer: | Simon Nolet – Quebec Aces |
| Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award Rookie of the year: | Gerry Desjardins – Cleveland Barons |
| Eddie Shore Award Defenceman of the year: | Bill Needham – Cleveland Barons |
| Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award Lowest goals against average: | Bobby Perreault – Rochester Americans |
| Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award Coach of the year: | Vic Stasiuk – Quebec Aces |
- Other awards
| James C. Hendy Memorial Award Most outstanding executive: | John B. Sollenberger (posthumously) |
| James H. Ellery Memorial Award Outstanding media coverage: | Jim West, Baltimore |
See also
References
- Associated Press (October 11, 1967). "Reds Play Bisons in AHL Opener". St Petersburg Times. p. 4-C. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
- "Scores and Standings". Democrat and Chronicle. April 2, 1968. p. 1D. Retrieved June 25, 2023.